The 32-year-old Algerian winger joined Pep Guardiola’s team in 2018 from Leicester, winning 11 major trophies at the club.

“The wait is over: Riyad is real,” the Saudi Pro League club said in a social media post.

City agreed a fee understood to be worth up to £30 million ($38.6 million) with Al-Ahli last week.

“To play for Manchester City has been an honour and privilege,” Mahrez told City’s website.

“I came to City to win trophies and enjoy my football and I achieved all that and so much more.

“I have had five unforgettable years with this football club, working with unbelievable players, fantastic supporters, and the best manager in the world.”

City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain paid tribute to the Algeria star.

“There are few wingers that possess his levels of skill and technique in world football, and he will be missed, but everyone will wish him all the best as he begins a new chapter in his career,” he said.

Liverpool and Al-Ettifaq confirmed on Thursday that Reds’ captain Jordan Henderson was moving to the Saudi league.

France striker Karim Benzema left Real Madrid to join Al-Ittihad, following in the footsteps of his former Real team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr.

Other Premier League players who have moved to Saudi Arabia include Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante and another former Liverpool team-mate of Henderson’s, Roberto Firmino.

Saudi Arabia’s lavish spending on sport is often criticised as “sportswashing” — an attempt to shift the focus from its record on human rights.

The conservative monarchy executed 81 people in a single day last year, outlaws homosexuality and triggered international condemnation when journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

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At 36 years old, Ronaldo is set take the field in front of 68,000 fans in the Hungarian capital on Tuesday in what should be Portugal’s simplest match in a tough Group F alongside Germany and world champions France.

“It’s perfect. I wish every single venue could host a full house. It’s great for viewers and players, but sadly it’s not up to us to decide,” said Ronaldo.

“We know the pandemic has its influence. I wish we could always play before a full house.”

Portugal have lost Joao Cancelo from their squad to Covid-19 after the Manchester City right-back tested positive for the virus on Sunday, but Ronaldo says the team are not worrying about the pandemic.

“We don’t talk about Covid because we’re tired of it. It’s a sad situation but we’re focused… Nothing will shake us… We’re just focused on playing.

“I think the team is ready, physically and emotionally. The players are young but that doesn’t stop us from dreaming. I know all the players are ready.”

The Portugal captain is set to become the first person to play in at least one match at five European Championships, and also has another record in sight.

Portugal’s forward Cristiano Ronaldo kicks the ball during the international friendly football match between Portugal and Israel at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon in preparation for the UEFA EURO 2020 football competition, on June 9, 2021. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)

He needs just five more goals to equal Iranian Ali Daei’s all-time mark of 109 international goals, a feasible target at this summer’s tournament should Portugal go deep.

“I’m not the same player I was 18 years ago, 10 years ago, five years ago… you keep adjusting,” said Ronaldo.

“I’m more mature, if a player wants to play for many years he needs to learn how to adapt. From 18 to 36 years old I’ve learned to adjust and adapt, and I’ve always been able to win personally and collectively.”

A win over the Magyars would go a long way to ensuring Portugal qualify for the next round at least as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams as coach Fernando Santos targets two Euro titles in a row with a talented squad.

“Right now we think we have what it takes to win the cup,” said Santos.

“There are very good opponents, seven or eight teams are playing to take the trophy home, and there are dark horses who also think they have a chance. The only difference is that we hold the title.”

Hungary captain Adam Szalai is also looking forward to running out with a huge crowd behind him and his team as the group underdogs aim to somehow claim a place in the knockout stages.

Mainz forward Szalai said that the 2019 opening of the Puskas Arena was one of his “best ever memories” and is relishing the chance to play in a major tournament in his own country.

“That a Hungarian team can take part in a tournament that is being hosted here in Budapest is like a dream come true for all the players,” he said.

“If someone had told me as a kid that I would take part in two Euros in a row and that one of them would be hosted in Budapest I don’t think I would have had the words to express my feelings, now I’ve just one sleep to go to experience it.”

The post Ronaldo ready for ‘perfect’ Euro 2020 first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post Ronaldo ready for ‘perfect’ Euro 2020 appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

With the scores level at 2-2 in Belgrade, Ronaldo thought he had scored the crucial goal in stoppage time when the ball appeared to cross the goalline before Stefan Mitrovic cleared.

But without technology in use, the goal was not awarded.

A fuming Ronaldo was booked for his protests and at the final whistle, as he stormed from the pitch, he threw his captain’s armband to the ground.

One of the stewards at the stadium picked it up and immediately contacted a regional sports channel with the idea of auctioning it for charity.

The man, who requested anonymity, told AFP he suggested raising funds required to treat a six-month-old baby, Gavrilo Djurdjevic, who is suffering from a rare disease.

“He (Ronaldo) threw the armband three metres away from me, and the idea immediately occured to me that this (sale) could be a good opportunity,” the man told AFP by phone.

“I realised we had some attention and could do something nice for Gavrilo”, he added.

After the sports channel Sportklub verified the item’s authenticity by checking post-match photos and videos, they teamed up with a charity organisation and put Ronaldo’s armband up for a bidding contest on auctioning website Limundo.com.

“I hope we will be able to reach Ronaldo himself… so we could help Gavrilo as much as we can,” Branislav Jocic, social media manager of Sportklub told AFP.

The infant is suffering from spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which affects about one in 10,000 births, and results in death or the need for permanent ventilation by the age of two in 90 percent of cases.

His hope is pinned on a one-time gene treatment Zolgensma, also known as the “world’s most expensive drug”, which would cost more than two million euros ($2.35 million).

Fundraising campaigns to help children suffering from SMA have recently taken the poor Balkan country by storm, raising the required amounts for five babies last year alone.

Only hours after being put on auction, early Tuesday afternoon, the armband had reached the price of 360,000 dinars (around 3,000 euros) — donations can also be made direct to the charity.

The post Cristiano Ronaldo’s castaway armband to be auctioned to help suffering baby first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post Cristiano Ronaldo’s castaway armband to be auctioned to help suffering baby appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

The prize will be awarded to one of the trio during the draw for the Champions League group stage in Monaco on August 29, after they were shortlisted by a jury of coaches and journalists.

England’s Lucy Bronze, Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg and France’s Amandine Henry have been shortlisted for the women’s award. All three play for European champions Lyon.

Van Dijk has joined Messi and Ronaldo, the two iconic players of their generation, on the shortlist after starring in defence for Liverpool as they won a sixth Champions League and came close to winning their first domestic league title in 29 years.

Messi won the first edition of the award in 2011 while Ronaldo has won it on three occasions, in 2014, 2016 and 2017.

Luka Modric is the current holder of the men’s award after winning the Champions League and taking Croatia to the World Cup final in 2018, while Wolfsburg’s Danish striker Pernille Harder bagged the women’s prize.

AFP

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The post Messi, Ronaldo, Van Dijk Nominated For UEFA Awards appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly proposed to his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez.

According to the Portuguese paper Correio da Manha, the football star asked for his girlfriend’s hand in marriage and she said yes.

Georgina, nicknamed Gio, has been anticipating this moment for a while now and has already started trying on wedding dresses.

“Cristiano has already asked Gio to marry him and the wedding will take place, but few people know the details,” a source told the paper.

“All that is known at the moment is that Gio has already tried on some wedding dresses.”

The happy couple currently reside in Italy and share a one-year-old daughter.

Their marriage would also make her stepmum to the footballer’s other three children, who she already looks after at home.

They have been dating for two years, enduring the ups and downs of Cristiano’s life in the spotlight.

Gio stood by her boyfriend’s side when he was accused of rape earlier this year, calling the allegations false and defending his character.

Their proposal news comes just days after their daughter Alana Martina’s first birthday on November 12.

What a fantastic birthday present for their little one!

The engagement has yet to be confirmed by either parent, but we’re sure they will soon.

The post Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly proposed to his girlfriend first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly proposed to his girlfriend appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

The 33-year-old scored a first half header in four minute for Portugal against the Lions of the Atlas as the match ended 1-0 in favour of the reigning European champions.

Ronaldo’s goal against the North Africans means he has now scored 85 international goals, more than any other European player in the history of football.

The Portuguese captain is now having four goals so far in this year’s tournament having scored a hat-trick against Spain in their first game that ended 3-3 last week Friday.

Fernando Santos’s men now top the group with four points from two games.

Portugal is in Group D of this year’s tournament alongside Spain, Morocco and Iran.

The post World Cup 2018: Cristiano Ronaldo makes history after scoring against Morocco first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post World Cup 2018: Cristiano Ronaldo makes history after scoring against Morocco appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

According to Ramos, “the best players in the world should be the best paid.”

The Spanish international was reacting to the report that the Portuguese captain is demanding a pay rise that would surpass that of Neymar and Lionel Messi.

There were reports on Spanish media on Thursday that 32-year-old Ronaldo had asked for a pay rise to €40 million net a year.

The report also said that Madrid president, Florentino Perez rejected the idea and reminded Ronaldo he signed a new deal in November, which runs until 2021.

Speaking at yesterday’s Champions League draw, where he was named best defender in the competition for the 2016-17 season, Ramos said, “We will see about that.

“The best players in the world should be the best paid, but that is not up to us. At Madrid we are used to rumours, but Cristiano looks happy to me, the same as the rest of the squad.”

The post What Real Madrid should do for Cristiano Ronaldo – Sergio Ramos first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

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